JP2018066092A - Manufacturing apparatus for collective structure and manufacturing method for collective structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing apparatus for a collective structure and a manufacturing method for a collective structure, with which, in depositing and collecting fibers and/or particles to form a collective structure, positions at which the fibers and the particles land in a collector can be controlled.SOLUTION: In a manufacturing apparatus for a collective structure, a raw material liquid containing a raw material of fibers and/or particles is used to form the fibers and/or particles and deposit them, thereby the collective structure is manufactured. The manufacturing apparatus comprises a nozzle for discharging the raw material liquid, first electrification means for electrifying the raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle at a first polarity, and an electrode and an insulation region adjacent to the electrode, and it is provided with a collector for collecting the fibers and/or particles formed from the raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle and second electrification means for electrifying the insulation region at the first polarity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an aggregate structure (fiber aggregate, particle aggregate, etc.) in which fibers and / or particles are deposited, and a method for manufacturing the aggregate structure.

  A fiber assembly such as a nonwoven fabric can be formed, for example, by depositing fibers on a substrate such as a collector provided with electrodes. Depending on the application, a fiber assembly in which fibers are arranged is required. Among the electrospray deposition (ESD) methods, in the electrospinning method in which fibers are generated, the fibers are deposited in a spiral shape. Therefore, when the fibers are to be arranged, there is a method of winding around a winding rotating body that rotates at high speed. It is taken. Moreover, in order to arrange the fibers, a method of providing two or more electrodes of equipotential on the collector is also used (Patent Document 1).

JP2015-109431A

  When fibers are deposited on a collector provided with an electrode by electrospinning, if the insulating member is exposed in the vicinity of the electrode or in the vicinity of the collector, the charged state of the surface of the insulating member is positive in the initial stage of deposition. Since the negative region and the negative region are mixed, it is difficult to prevent the fibers from adhering to the surface of the insulating member. In particular, when arranging the fibers by providing two or more electrodes on the collector, the arrangement is disturbed if the fibers adhere to an insulating member other than the electrodes, making it difficult to arrange the fibers.

  Even when particles are deposited on a collector having an electrode by the ESD method, if there is an exposed region of the insulating member in the vicinity of the electrode or the collector, the surface of the insulating member is charged in the initial stage of deposition. Therefore, the landing position of the particles is difficult to control, and the particles adhere to the insulating member that the particles do not want to adhere to.

One aspect of the present invention is a production apparatus for producing an aggregate structure in which fibers and / or particles are generated and deposited using a raw material liquid containing a raw material of fibers and / or particles,
A nozzle for discharging the raw material liquid;
First charging means for charging the raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle to the first polarity;
A collector that includes an electrode and an insulating region adjacent to the electrode, and collects fibers and / or particles generated by discharging the raw material liquid from the nozzle;
A second charging means for charging the insulating region to the first polarity;
It is related with the manufacturing apparatus of an aggregate structure provided with.

Another aspect of the present invention is a production method for producing an aggregate structure by generating and depositing fibers and / or particles using a raw material liquid containing raw materials of fibers and / or particles,
Preparing a collector comprising an electrode and an insulating region adjacent to the electrode and collecting the fibers and / or the particles;
A voltage is applied by a first charging unit between the electrode and a nozzle that discharges the raw material liquid, and the raw material liquid is discharged from the nozzle, and the fibers and / or the particles charged to the first polarity are discharged. A generation process to generate;
A charging step of charging the insulating region to the first polarity by a second charging means;
And a deposition step of depositing the fibers and / or the particles on the collector to form an aggregate structure.

  When forming a structure (aggregate structure) in which fibers and / or particles are deposited and aggregated, the position at which the fibers and particles land (or deposit) in the collector can be controlled.

It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the manufacturing apparatus of the aggregate structure which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the aggregate structure which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the manufacturing apparatus of the aggregate structure which has several electrode pairs and switching means based on other embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows typically the state of an electrode pair in case the manufacturing apparatus of the aggregate structure which concerns on further another embodiment of this invention has several electrode pairs.

  In the assembly structure manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, fibers and / or particles are generated and deposited using a raw material liquid containing fiber and / or particle raw materials to manufacture an aggregate structure. The manufacturing apparatus includes a nozzle for discharging the raw material liquid, a charging means (first charging means) for charging the raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle to the first polarity, an electrode and an insulating region adjacent to the electrode, and the nozzle A collector that collects fibers and / or particles generated by discharging the raw material liquid from the liquid, and a charging means (second charging means) for charging the insulating region to the first polarity.

  Further, in the method for manufacturing an aggregate structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, an aggregate structure is manufactured by generating and depositing fibers and / or particles using a raw material liquid containing fiber and / or particle raw materials. To do. In the manufacturing method, a charging unit (first charging) is provided between a preparation step including an electrode and a collector that collects fibers and / or particles, and an insulating region adjacent to the electrode, and a nozzle that discharges the raw material liquid. Voltage is applied to the first insulating region by the charging means (second charging means) and the generation step of discharging the raw material liquid from the nozzle to generate fibers and / or particles charged to the first polarity. And a deposition step of depositing fibers and / or particles on the collector to form an aggregate structure.

  Among the ESD methods, in the electrospinning method, for example, a fiber assembly such as a nonwoven fabric is formed by depositing fibers on an electrode pair including a pair of electrode portions arranged to face each other with a gap therebetween. An insulating region is usually formed around the collector electrode pair. Further, in the ESD method, the discharge liquid may not form a fiber shape but may become particles. A particle aggregate can be formed by depositing particles generated by the ESD method.

  In the ESD method, since fibers are generally deposited in a spiral shape, a portion close to one electrode portion of the fiber is attracted to and landed on one electrode portion, and a portion close to the other electrode portion of the fiber is the other electrode portion. Attracted to the landing. As a result, theoretically, a part of the fibers are alternately landed on each electrode portion of the electrode pair, and the fibers are deposited in an arrayed state. However, in actuality, at the start of fiber deposition, the surface of the insulating region does not have a charge state, and various charge states are mixed. Therefore, the fibers land not only on the electrode pair but also on the entire insulating region, and a fiber assembly including fibers in a non-arranged state is formed. Note that the surface of the insulating region is gradually charged to the same polarity as the fibers due to the accumulation of charged fibers, so that the arrangement gradually increases as the accumulation amount increases.

  As described above, in the conventional method, it is difficult to control the position where the fiber lands on the collector. In such a case, it was difficult to obtain a fiber assembly having high alignment even when fibers were deposited. In addition, when depositing particles by the ESD method, it is the same as in the case of fibers. With the conventional method, it is difficult to control the position where the particles land on the collector, and the distribution of the particles varies and the shape is controlled. It was difficult to obtain a particle assembly.

  According to the assembly structure manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment, by providing a charging unit (second charging unit) for charging the insulating region, the insulating region has the same polarity as the raw material liquid (that is, fibers and particles) (the first charging unit). 1) and the landing of fibers and particles on the insulating region is suppressed by the repulsion of charges. In the assembly structure manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, in the charging step, the insulating region is charged to the same polarity as the fibers and particles by the second charging means prior to the fiber and / or particle deposition step. Thus, the landing of fibers and particles on the insulating region in the initial stage of the deposition process is suppressed, and the landing position (or deposition position) on the collector can be controlled. As a result, an aggregate structure with a controlled shape can be obtained. Furthermore, when the arrayed fibers are prepared using the electrode pairs, the fibers are prevented from being deposited in an unaligned state, and an aggregate structure with high fiber arrayability can be obtained.

  In the present specification, the aggregate structure means a structure in which fibers and / or particles are aggregated and formed by deposition. The aggregate structure includes a fiber aggregate formed by aggregation of fibers, a particle aggregate formed by aggregation of particles, and an aggregate of fibers and particles formed by aggregation of both fibers and particles. Shall be included.

  When producing an aggregate structure, fibers and / or particles can be selected by selecting the type of fiber or particle raw material, or by adjusting the conditions of the ESD method (for example, the concentration of the raw material in the raw material liquid). Can control the generation of

  In order to preferentially deposit the generated fibers and particles on the electrode and make it easier to control the deposition position, the electrode is the second opposite to the nozzle (the raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle, the generated fibers and particles). Is charged to the polarity of For example, the electrode may be grounded and charged to charge the electrode so that it has a second polarity opposite to that of the nozzle (or raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle, fibers or particles to be generated). You may connect to a means (3rd charging means). A voltage may be applied to the electrode by the third charging means. When the first charging unit is a voltage applying device that applies a voltage to charge the nozzle to the first polarity and includes a counter electrode, the counter electrode is connected to the electrode as a third charging unit. May be. Thereby, the electrode can be charged to the second polarity opposite to the first polarity.

  In one embodiment, the aggregate structure is a fiber aggregate in which fibers are deposited, and the electrode is an electrode pair including a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion that are arranged to face each other with a gap therebetween. The collector includes at least one such electrode pair. The insulating region is preferably provided at least between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion. In such an embodiment, the fibers are likely to land alternately in the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, and the arrangement of the fibers in the fiber assembly can be improved.

Moreover, the properties of the fibers or particles can be changed by providing the collector with a plurality of electrodes. For example, the properties, materials, average fiber diameter, and / or average particle diameter of the fibers or particles can be changed between the electrodes.
The collector may include one electrode pair including the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, or may include a plurality of electrode pairs. When a fiber assembly is formed by providing a plurality of electrode pairs on the collector, the area of the fiber assembly can be increased and productivity can be improved.
Similarly, in each electrode pair, the properties of the fibers to be deposited can be changed. For example, it is possible to change the properties and materials of the fibers, the average fiber diameter, etc. between the electrode pairs.

  When the collector includes a plurality of electrodes or electrode pairs, the manufacturing apparatus preferably includes switching means for individually changing the connection state of the plurality of electrodes or electrode pairs with the ground or the third charging unit. By switching means, one electrode or electrode pair can be grounded so that the polarity is opposite to that of the nozzle, or another electrode pair can be floated while a voltage is applied by the third charging means. . The electrode in the floating state is charged to the same polarity (first polarity) as the charged fiber by the second charging means. As a result, the accumulation of fibers on other electrodes or electrode pairs is suppressed. Thus, fibers and / or particles can be landed between the desired electrodes or electrode pairs. In particular, in the case of obtaining aligned fibers, in an adjacent electrode pair, an electrode part of one electrode pair (for example, a first electrode part) and an electrode part of the other electrode pair (for example, a second electrode part) Since it can suppress that a fiber is bridged between, it becomes easy to ensure a high arrangement.

  As the second charging means for charging the insulating region, for example, an ion wind emitting device can be used. In this case, the insulating region can be charged efficiently.

The assembly structure manufacturing apparatus (and its constituent elements) and the assembly structure manufacturing method (and each process) will be described below in more detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an assembly structure (fiber assembly) manufacturing apparatus (or a deposition step of a manufacturing method) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The assembly structure manufacturing apparatus 10 has a nozzle 15 for discharging the raw material liquid 17 accommodated in the emitter 16, a first charging means 18 for charging the raw material liquid 17 discharged from the nozzle 15, and a discharge from the nozzle 15. And a collector 14 that collects the fibers F produced in this manner. The collector 14 includes a first electrode portion 11 and an electrode including the first electrode portion 11 and an insulating region 13 adjacent to the electrode. In the illustrated example, the collector 14 includes an electrode pair including a first electrode portion 11 and a second electrode portion 12 arranged to face the first electrode portion 11 with a gap therebetween.

  The manufacturing apparatus 10 further includes an ion wind emitting device as second charging means 19 that charges the insulating region 13 to the same polarity as the raw material liquid 17 (and the fiber F). Prior to at least the fiber F deposition step, the insulating region 13 is positively charged by accumulating positive charges 20 on the surface by the ion wind emitted from the ion wind emitting device.

  In the fiber generation step (spinning step), the raw material liquid 17 accommodated in the discharger 16 is discharged from the nozzle 15 of the discharger 16 to generate the fiber F. At this time, first, a voltage is applied to the nozzle 15 by the first charging unit 18, whereby the raw material liquid 17 discharged from the nozzle 15 and the generated fiber F are positively charged by the positive charge 20. The fibers F generated in the fiber generation process are deposited on the collector 14 in the deposition process. At this time, the insulating region 13 is already discharged at the start of the deposition process at the start of the raw material liquid 17 in the fiber generation process. And charged to the same polarity as the fiber F. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the fibers F to land on the insulating region 13 from the start of the deposition process. Therefore, when the fiber F is spirally dropped by the electrospinning method, a portion of the fiber F that is close to the first electrode portion 11 is attracted to the first electrode portion 11, and a portion of the fiber F that is close to the second electrode portion 12 is It is attracted to the second electrode portion 12 and landed. Thus, in this embodiment, the landing position of the fiber can be controlled. Thereby, the fiber F is bridged and arranged between the 1st electrode part 11 and the 2nd electrode part 12, and the fiber assembly with high arrangement nature is formed. The charging process for charging the insulating region may be performed at the latest prior to the deposition process (more specifically, at the time when fiber deposition is started in the deposition process), and performed prior to the fiber generation process. Also good.

  The insulating region 13 only needs to be formed at least between the first electrode portion 11 and the second electrode portion 12, and the entire region other than the first electrode portion 11 and the second electrode portion 12 of the collector 14 is insulated region 13. It is good. The collector 14 including at least the first electrode portion 11 and the second electrode portion 12 is prepared prior to a charging step for charging the insulating region 13 by the second charging means 19.

(Manufacturing device for assembly structure)
As the first charging means for charging the nozzle and the raw material liquid, known ones can be employed without any particular limitation. The shape of the nozzle and the shape and number of discharge ports at the tip of the nozzle are not particularly limited. The first charging unit may include, for example, a voltage applying device that applies a voltage to the nozzle and a counter electrode. The counter electrode may be connected to an electrode provided in the collector as the third charging means described above.
The distance between the discharge port of the nozzle and the collector is, for example, 100 to 600 mm, although it depends on the scale of the manufacturing apparatus and the desired fiber diameter and particle diameter.

  The raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle causes electrostatic explosion while moving in a space (fiber generation space) between the nozzle and the collector in a charged state, and generates fibers and / or particles. The generated fibers and particles are collected and deposited on the collector to form an aggregate structure. In the illustrated example, the case where the raw material liquid (and fiber) and the insulating region are positively charged is shown, but this is not a limitation. The raw material liquid (and fibers and particles) and the insulating region may be negatively charged, and the electrode may be positively charged.

The raw material liquid usually contains a fiber and / or particle raw material, a solvent (or a dispersion medium), and, if necessary, an additive.
Raw materials include, for example, polymer substances, relatively low molecular organic compounds (amino acids, monosaccharides, disaccharides, saccharides such as oligosaccharides), inorganic materials, active substances (proteins such as antibodies), adhesives, Examples include adsorbents. These raw materials may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more types.

  For example, a raw material containing a polymer substance may be used, and a polymer substance and another material may be used. When forming a particle aggregate, the raw material does not necessarily need to contain a polymer substance. When forming a particle aggregate, for example, only an inorganic material may be used as a raw material, and an inorganic material and another material [for example, an organic compound, an active substance, an adhesive, an adsorbent, and / or a polymer substance (protein And / or polysaccharides etc.)] and the like. Among these, when forming a particle aggregate, it is preferable to use an antibody, an adhesive, and / or an adsorbent.

  Examples of the polymer substance include various resins, collagen, polypeptides, other proteins, saccharides (polysaccharides, etc.) and the like. Examples of the resin include styrene resins such as polystyrene (PS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymers, fluororesins such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyvinylidene chloride-acrylate. Chlorinated resins such as polymers, polyolefin resins such as polysulfone, polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester resins, polyacrylonitrile, acrylic resins such as polyacrylonitrile-methacrylate copolymer, polycarbonate, Polycarbonate resins such as polyester carbonate, polyamide resins such as polyamide and aramid, polyimide, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, etc. Polyimide-based resins, polyether ether ketone, polyacetal, polyurethane, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, and copolymers thereof. Examples of the polyester resin include polycaprolactone, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polyhydroxybutyric acid, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, poly-m-phenylene terephthalate, poly-p-phenylene isophthalate, and polyarylate. Is mentioned. A high molecular substance may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type. These are merely examples, and are not limited to these polymer substances. When forming a fiber coalescence, it is preferable to use a raw material containing PS.

  Examples of inorganic materials include metals such as platinum, gold, and aluminum or alloys thereof, metal compounds such as indium tin oxide (ITO), titanium nitride, and aluminum oxide (oxides, hydroxides, nitrides, sulfides, etc.) , Salts such as sodium chloride and calcium chloride. The inorganic material may be fibrous, but is preferably particulate.

  The solvent (including the dispersion medium) is not particularly limited as long as it can dissolve (or disperse) the raw materials of fibers and particles and can be removed by volatilization or the like. Depending on the type of raw materials and production conditions, water and It can be used by appropriately selecting from organic solvents. As the solvent, an aprotic polar organic solvent is preferable. Examples of such a solvent include amides such as N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) (chain or cyclic amide). A sulfoxide such as dimethyl sulfoxide; These solvent may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

  The electrode provided in the collector that collects fibers and / or particles may have at least one electrode part, but may have a plurality of electrode parts. From the viewpoint of improving the arrangement of the fibers, it is preferable to include an electrode pair including a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion. The collector may have one electrode or electrode pair, or may have two or more. In the electrode pair, the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion are preferably arranged so as to face each other with a gap therebetween. For example, in a collector having an electrode pair, the deposited fibers are arranged by alternately landing on the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion. The shape of the electrode part is not particularly limited.

  In general, when a collector having a plurality of electrodes is used, if fibers (or particles) land on adjacent electrodes rather than on one electrode, thickness unevenness is likely to occur in the formed aggregate structure. Further, in a collector having a plurality of electrodes, it may be desired to deposit fibers and particles having different properties, materials, average fiber diameters, and / or average particle diameters separately for each region. However, in this case as well, when fibers (or particles) land on adjacent electrodes instead of on one electrode, it is difficult to deposit the fibers and particles separately for each region. Further, when a collector having a plurality of electrode pairs is used to obtain arranged fibers, if the fibers land between adjacent electrode pairs, the arrangement of the fibers decreases. Therefore, conventionally, while fibers or particles are deposited on one electrode or electrode pair, the other electrodes or electrode pairs adjacent to each other are covered with an insulating cover, so that the fibers or particles between adjacent electrodes or electrode pairs are covered. Is suppressed from landing.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the collector includes a plurality of electrodes or electrode pairs, the manufacturing apparatus is switched to individually change the connection state of the plurality of electrodes or electrode pairs to the ground or the third charging means. By providing the means, it is possible to suppress the landing of fibers between adjacent electrodes or electrode pairs. More specifically, in the switching means, the plurality of electrodes or nozzles of the electrode pair are connected to the ground or the third charging means, and are not connected to the ground or the third charging means (floating). State). The electrode or electrode pair in the floating state can be charged to the same polarity as the charged fibers and particles by the second charging means. As a result, the fibers or particles are deposited on the electrode or electrode pair in a state of being connected to the ground or the third charging means, avoiding the electrode or electrode pair in the floating state in which the same polarity is charged. The third charging means is not particularly limited as long as the electrode or the electrode pair can be charged to a polarity opposite to that of the nozzle, and a known voltage application device (external power source or the like) may be used. May be used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a case where an apparatus for manufacturing an aggregate structure according to another embodiment of the present invention has a plurality of electrode pairs and switching means.
The manufacturing apparatus 30 in FIG. 3 differs from the manufacturing apparatus 10 in FIG. 1 in that the collector has two electrode pairs 35a and 35b and the manufacturing apparatus 30 has a switching means 36. The same.

  The switching means 36 can individually change the connection state of the plurality of electrode pairs 35a, 35b with the ground or the third charging means. More specifically, each of the electrode pairs 35a and 35b can be switched between connection and disconnection with the ground or the third charging means. The switching means 36 can turn on and off the first electrode pair 35a composed of the first electrode portion 31a and the second electrode portion 32a and the second electrode pair 35b composed of the first electrode portion 31b and the second electrode portion 32b. It is connected. That is, the switching means 36 includes a contact point electrically connected to the first electrode part 31a and the second electrode part 32a of the first electrode pair 35a, and the first electrode part 31b and the second electrode part 32b of the second electrode pair 35b. The connection state can be switched with the contact point electrically connected to.

  For example, while the connection between the switching unit 36 and the first electrode pair 35a is turned on, the connection with the second electrode pair 35b is turned off. In this state, if the insulating region 33 is charged by the second charging means 19 before the fibers F are deposited, the second electrode pair 35b that is not grounded is also charged in the same manner as the insulating region 33. When the electrospinning process is performed in such a state, the fibers F are deposited in a state where the fibers F are arranged while being landed between the first electrode portion 31a and the second electrode portion 32a of the first electrode pair 35a. At this time, since the second electrode pair 35b is charged to the same plus as the fiber F by the positive charge 20, the landing of the fiber F on the second electrode pair 35b is suppressed by the repulsion of the charge.

FIG. 4 is a top view schematically showing a state of an electrode pair when the assembly structure manufacturing apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention has a plurality of electrode pairs.
The manufacturing apparatus includes n pairs of electrodes each including a first electrode portion 41 and a second electrode portion 42. The n electrode pairs include a first electrode pair 101, a second electrode pair 102, a third electrode pair 103,. In each electrode pair, the first electrode part 41 and the second electrode part 42 are arranged in the same manner as in the case of the first electrode part 11 and the second electrode part 12 in FIG.

  From the viewpoint of suppressing the landing of fibers between adjacent electrode pairs, the manufacturing apparatus including a plurality of electrode pairs is capable of individually changing the connection state of the plurality of electrode pairs to the ground or the third charging unit. 106 may be provided. More specifically, the switching unit 106 individually switches between the connection and non-connection of the plurality of electrode pairs with the ground or the third charging unit. The switching means 106 is connected to each of the first electrode portion 41 and the second electrode portion 42 of the first electrode pair 101, the second electrode pair 102, the third electrode pair 103,. Yes. In other words, the switching means 106 is configured such that the contact points 1 and 1 ′ electrically connected to the first electrode part 41 and the second electrode part 42 of the first electrode pair 101 and the electrode parts 41 and 42 of the second electrode pair 102, respectively. Contacts 2 and 2 'electrically connected to each other, contacts 3 and 3' electrically connected to each electrode portion 41 and 42 of the third electrode pair 103, ... to each electrode portion 41 and 42 of the nth electrode pair N. The connection state can be switched between the electrically connected contacts n and n ′.

  For example, while the connection between the switching means 106 and the contact points 1 and 1 ′ of the electrode portions 41 and 42 of the first electrode pair 101 is turned on, the connection with the other electrode pairs is turned off and the first electrode Fibers are deposited between the electrode portions 41 and 42 of the pair 101. Next, the connection with the contact points 2 and 2 ′ with the electrode portions 41 and 42 of the second electrode pair 102 is turned on, the connection with the other electrode pairs is turned off, and the fiber is connected to the electrode portion 41 of the second electrode pair 102. , 42. By repeating such an operation, a fiber assembly can be formed on a plurality of electrode pairs.

  In the collector, the insulating region may be formed adjacent to the electrode. When the electrode includes a plurality of electrode portions, the insulating region may be formed between the plurality of electrode portions, except for the collector electrode (or electrode portion). This region may be an insulating region. In the case where the collector has an electrode pair of the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, the insulating region may be formed at least between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion. Moreover, you may arrange | position each electrode part on an insulation area | region. The insulating region can be made of a known insulating material (such as resin).

  As the second charging means for charging the insulating region, a known one can be used without particular limitation. As the second charging means, an ion wind emitting device is preferably used. A known device such as an ionizer can be used as the ion wind discharge device. The ionizer may be a corona discharge type or an ionizing radiation type.

(Manufacturing method of assembly structure)
The assembly structure manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a step of preparing a collector, a generation step of generating fibers and / or particles from a raw material liquid, and a charging step of charging an insulating region provided in the collector. Depositing fibers and / or particles on the collector to form an aggregate structure.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a method for manufacturing an aggregate structure (fiber aggregate) according to the present embodiment. In the collector 14 preparation step (a), a collector 14 including electrode portions 11 and 12 and an insulating region 13 adjacent to the electrode portions 11 and 12 is prepared. In the illustrated example, in the preparation step, the electrode pairs including the first electrode portion 11 and the second electrode portion 12 are arranged so as to face each other with a gap therebetween. In the collector preparation step (a), a collector provided with a plurality of electrode pairs as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be prepared.

  In the charging step (b), the insulating region 13 is charged by the second charging means 19. At this time, the insulating region 13 is charged so as to have the same polarity (first polarity) as the raw material liquid (and fibers to be generated) discharged from the nozzle in the fiber generation step (spinning step) (c). When the second charging means 19 is an ion wind discharge device, the surface of the collector is charged by blowing ion wind from the second charging means 19 to the collector 14. In the illustrated example, the insulating region 13 is positively charged by a positive charge 20.

  In the illustrated example, in the charging step (b), the case where the first electrode portion 11 and the second electrode portion 12 are charged to the opposite polarity (second polarity) to the insulating region 13 is shown. Not limited to this, the non-charged electrode portions 11 and 12 may be charged to the same polarity as the insulating region 13 by the second charging means 19 by being subjected to the charging step (b). In this case, by charging the electrode portions 11 and 12 to the second polarity opposite to the insulating region 13 prior to the deposition step (d) (preferably the fiber generation step (c) and the deposition step (d)), The fibers F can be selectively landed on the electrode portions 11 and 12.

  In the fiber production step (c), fibers F are produced using the raw material liquid 17, and the produced fibers F are deposited on the collector 14 in the deposition step (d) to produce an aggregate structure. More specifically, in the fiber generation step (c), the raw material liquid 17 is discharged from the nozzle 15 included in the emitter 16 to generate the fibers F, and in the deposition step (d), the fibers 14 are fed to the collector 14. To form a fiber assembly. Since the insulating region 13 is charged so as to have the same first polarity as the fiber F in the charging step (b), the fiber F is bridged between the first electrode portion 11 and the second electrode portion 12 of the collector 14. So that it is deposited. Therefore, the arrangement of the fibers F can be improved.

  In the fiber production step (c), the fiber F is produced by an electrospinning method. In electrospinning, the raw material liquid 17 is discharged from the nozzle 15 while applying a voltage between the nozzle 15 for discharging the raw material liquid 17 and the collector 14 by the first charging means 18, and the fiber F is generated. In the electrospinning method, since a high voltage is applied to the raw material liquid 17, the raw material liquid 17 is charged positively or negatively. At this time, the electrode parts 11 and 12 are charged with the opposite polarity to the discharged raw material liquid 17 and the insulating region 13 is charged with the same polarity as the raw material liquid 17, so that the discharged raw material liquid 17 is collected by the collector. 14 electrode portions 11 and 12 are attracted. Then, in the deposition step (d), the fibers F are deposited in an arranged state to form an aggregate structure. The electrode parts 11 and 12 may be charged to the second polarity opposite to the raw material liquid 17 by grounding, for example, and the electrode parts 11 and 12 to have the second polarity opposite to the raw material liquid 17. Alternatively, a voltage may be applied by the third charging means.

  In the illustrated example, the fiber F is deposited on the collector 14 to form a fiber aggregate as an aggregate structure. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the present embodiment generates particles from the raw material liquid. In this case, the particles 14 are deposited on the collector 14 to form a particle aggregate. The present embodiment also includes a case where both the fibers F and the particles are deposited on the collector 14 to form an aggregate including both the fibers and the particles. The aggregate including both the particle aggregate and the fibers and the particles can be produced by the same procedure using the same apparatus as that for manufacturing the above-described fiber aggregate.

  In the aggregate structure manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the average fiber diameter of the fibers is, for example, 50 nm to 10 μm, and may be 50 nm to 3 μm. The average fiber diameter of the fibers may be less than 1 μm (for example, 50 nm to 900 nm). A fiber having such an average fiber diameter is called a nanofiber.

  The average fiber diameter is an average value of fiber diameters. The diameter of the fiber is a diameter of a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the fiber. If such a cross section is not circular, the maximum diameter may be considered as the diameter. Further, the width in the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the fiber when viewed from the normal direction of one main surface (for example, the upper surface) of the fiber assembly may be regarded as the fiber diameter. The average fiber diameter is, for example, an average value of diameters at arbitrary locations of arbitrary 10 fibers included in the fiber assembly.

  In the aggregate structure manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the average particle diameter of the particles is, for example, 1 nm to 100 μm, and may be 1 nm to 10 nm. The average particle diameter of the particles may be less than 1 μm (for example, 5 nm to 900 nm). Particles having such an average particle diameter are called nanoparticles.

  The average particle diameter of the particles is the average value of the diameters of the equivalent circles of the particle shapes when viewed from the normal direction of one main surface (for example, the upper surface) of the aggregate structure (sheet-like aggregate structure). It is. The average particle diameter of the particles can be obtained, for example, by measuring and averaging the diameters of the equivalent circles of arbitrary 10 particles included in the aggregate structure in the electron micrograph of the aggregate structure.

  The aggregate structure obtained by the production apparatus or the production method according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for a culture medium (scaffold) for culturing microorganisms or biological tissues and a substrate for measuring the potential of microorganisms or biological tissues. Yes. The aggregate structure can also be used for applications such as in vitro test sheets such as pregnancy test sheets, medical sheets, and microfluidic chips. Also, depending on the thickness of the aggregate structure, air cleaner or air conditioner filter media, battery separation sheet, fuel cell membrane, dust proof cloth such as dust mask, dust proof clothing, cosmetic sheet, wipe to wipe off dust It can also be used as a take sheet.

  F: Fiber, 10, 30: Manufacturing apparatus for aggregate structure, 11, 31a, 31b, 41: First electrode part, 12, 32a, 32b, 42: Second electrode part, 13, 33: Insulating region, 14, 34: collector, 15: nozzle, 16: emitter, 17: raw material liquid, 18: first charging means, 19: second charging means, 20: positive charge, 35a: first electrode pair, 35b: second electrode pair 36, 106: switching means, 1, 2, 3, n: contact with the first electrode part, 1 ′, 2 ′, 3 ′, n ′: contact with the second electrode part, 101: first electrode pair , 102: second electrode pair, 103: third electrode pair, N: nth electrode pair

Claims (8)

A production apparatus for producing an aggregate structure in which fibers and / or particles are generated and deposited using a raw material liquid containing a raw material of fibers and / or particles,
A nozzle for discharging the raw material liquid;
First charging means for charging the raw material liquid discharged from the nozzle to the first polarity;
A collector that includes an electrode and an insulating region adjacent to the electrode, and collects fibers and / or particles generated by discharging the raw material liquid from the nozzle;
A second charging means for charging the insulating region to the first polarity;
An assembly structure manufacturing apparatus comprising:   2. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is grounded or connected to a third charging means for charging the electrode to a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. Assembly structure manufacturing equipment. The aggregate structure is a fiber aggregate in which the fibers are deposited;
The electrode includes a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion arranged to face each other with a gap between them,
The collector includes at least one electrode pair including the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion,
The assembly structure manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the insulating region is provided at least between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion.   4. The assembly structure manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the collector includes a plurality of the electrode pairs.   The assembly structure manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a switching unit that individually changes a connection state of the plurality of electrode pairs with the ground or the third charging unit.   6. The assembly structure manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second charging means is an ion wind discharge device. A production method for producing an aggregate structure by producing and depositing fibers and / or particles using a raw material liquid containing raw materials of fibers and / or particles,
Preparing a collector comprising an electrode and an insulating region adjacent to the electrode and collecting the fibers and / or the particles;
A voltage is applied by a first charging unit between the electrode and a nozzle that discharges the raw material liquid, and the raw material liquid is discharged from the nozzle, and the fibers and / or the particles charged to the first polarity are discharged. A generation process to generate;
A charging step of charging the insulating region to the first polarity by a second charging means;
A deposition step of depositing the fibers and / or the particles on the collector to form an aggregate structure. The electrode includes a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion arranged to face each other with a gap between them,
The collector is grounded or connected to a third charging means for charging to a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion Comprising at least one electrode pair comprising: at least the insulating region provided between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion;
The fibers produced in the production step are spirally dropped toward the collector;
In the deposition step, a portion of the fiber close to the first electrode portion is attracted to the first electrode portion, and a portion of the fiber close to the second electrode portion is attracted to the second electrode portion and landed. The manufacturing method of the aggregate structure of Claim 7.

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